The use of Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT) as a common conduit system used in residential, commercial and industrial wiring installations provides a useful method of distributing power and control wiring. It is easy to store, transport and cut, and provides a fairly high level of protection from physical damage. However, any special bends or offsets require the use of manually-operated or electrically-powered conduit benders.
Manually-operated conduit benders are a fairly simple and low cost tool used to create a desired bend or offset. However, these benders typically require time and some skill to bend a conduit properly the first time. Such time and routine errors quickly translate into lost revenue on the job which can become magnified each time the conduit has to be taken down for additional bending. One (1) significant factor affecting the performance of a manual conduit bender is that it is prone to slipping upon the floor or ground surfaces or due to its natured handle which is nothing more than a piece of pipe. Additionally, these manual benders tend to rotate and shift during use which can skew the degree and direction of the initially intended bend.
There are numerous variations of manual pipe and conduit bending devices. Most require some visual observation during the bending process to identify when the desired bend has been achieved. Typically these manual bending devices are affixed to an end of a pipe which then engages a length of conduit on a floor surface at the work site. This configuration puts the working end of the bender away from the user's eyes and requires frequent stops and starts during the bending process, each time creating a possibility the conduit will shift within the bender which can eventually produce an incorrect bend. Examples of these types of manual conduit benders can be seen in several U.S. Patents; including: U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,441, issued in the name of Benfield, which discloses a pipe bending tool; U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,056, issued in the name of Kozinski, which discloses a conduit bender having a curved rocker base; U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,820, issued in the name of Nason, which discloses a pipe-bending tool including a pipe-bending head mounted to a handle having an adjustable gauge for judging a desired bend angle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,145, issued in the name of Giordano et al., which discloses a conduit bending apparatus for bending wiring conduit projecting upward from a floor surface; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,832, issued in the name of Illguth, which discloses a pipe bending tool including an audible signal to indicate to a user that a desired bend angle has been achieved.
Other variations include manual conduit benders which provide stand or other mountable support frame. Examples of these types of devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,344, issued in the name of Godin, which discloses a bender stand for facilitating conduit bending using a hand bender; and, U.S. Pat. No. 6,912,886, issued in the name of Maes, which discloses a bending apparatus for pipe and tubing adapted to be mounted to a vise to hold the apparatus.
Electrically operated conduit benders eliminate much of this error; however, they can be cost prohibitive in many situations. Examples of these devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,584, issued in the name of Pearson et al., which discloses an electrically driven portable conduit bender for EMT conduit and other tubing.
While these devices may accomplish their specific intended purpose, each suffers from one (1) or more disadvantage or deficiency with respect to design, function, or effectiveness. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which a manual conduit bender can be used without worry of slippage or possible floor damage. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.